Backbone Trail
- 8.6 mi
- round trip
- 239 ft
- climb
- 3,551 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jan–Apr, Oct–Nov
- best months
Backbone Trail is an 8.6-mile out-and-back hike in Coconino National Forest in Arizona, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is rated hard, with a total elevation gain of 239 feet, and it is not an accessible trail. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Tuzigoot weather station show April highs around 79°F and October highs around 83°F, while July averages about 101°F. The Zalesky Loop mountain biking route starts just 0.2 miles away, and the Cliffrose Loop hike is about a mile off. For an overnight stay, Mingus Mountain Campground is roughly 8 miles away, and the Mingus Mountain lake fishing area is about 9 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Camp Avalon Spiritual Nature Retreat11 mi away
- Canyon Outfitters Sedona14 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jan–Apr, Oct–Nov
Best time to visit Backbone Trail
Best months: January–April and October–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
61° / 30°
5 wet
Feb
65° / 33°
5 wet
Mar
71° / 38°
5 wet
Apr
79° / 43°
3 wet
May
88° / 51°
2 wet
Jun
99° / 59°
2 wet
Jul
101° / 67°
7 wet
Aug
98° / 66°
8 wet
Sep
93° / 58°
5 wet
Oct
83° / 47°
3 wet
Nov
71° / 36°
3 wet
Dec
60° / 29°
4 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tuzigoot, AZ, 4.1 mi away at 3,470 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: jasonwoodhead23, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Mesa Trail
~6 min drive
1.1-mile out-and-back hike in Arizona with 129 ft elevation gain
HIKE
Side Oats Loop
~3 min drive
4.03-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona with 76 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
COTTONWOOD LOOP
~10 min drive
11.94-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona with 1,410 ft elevation gain.
Photo: jasonwoodhead23, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)TUZI Tavasci Marsh Trail
~6 min drive
1.08-mile loop in Arizona with 158 ft gain and 160 ft loss.
HIKE
Black Grama Loop
~5 min drive
4.34-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona with 92 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Raptor Hill
~6 min drive
9.38-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona with 868 ft elevation gain.
Photo: jasonwoodhead23, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Verde River Greenway trail
~7 min drive
0.33-mile out-and-back trail on the Verde River Greenway in Arizona.
HIKE
Bill Ensign
~5 min drive
3.53-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona with 12 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Chris English, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Lower Smasher
~11 min drive
2.99-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona with 221 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Blowout Canyon #551
~7 min drive
6.18-mile out-and-back trail in Arizona with 1,804 ft elevation gain and loss.
